How to make film sets safer

We need a system in place to ensure light and stunt artistes are protected, industry insiders tell Pranati A S. A light officer died on the sets of a Kannada film last week.

A crew member on the sets of a Yogaraj Bhat’s film fell from a 30-foot ladder and died on the sets last week. Light officers and stunt artistes are among the most vulnerable to safety hazards on sets.

Showtime spoke to directors and technicians to understand how safety is enforced on film sets.

Certified gear

Action director Chethan D’Souza says helmets and harnesses are a must for anybody climbing or working from a height.

“Using the right kind of ropes is vital. It is important to get certified ropes and equipment. Yes, they cost more but it has to do with a person’s life,” he says. 

Filmmaker Chaitanya K M saw how meticulous the British are when he shot ‘Aake’ (2017) in London. “The production manager has to get a health and safety certificate approved every day from the health and safety department. I was shooting in a forest, and the art department went first and checked for pits and ditches. They put up fluorescent markings near every pit to ensure that if someone was running, they would be cautious. We don’t do that here,” he says. 

When filmmaker B Suresha was shooting a river scene for his 2016 film ‘Devara Nadalli’, he made sure to keep two motor boats fully ready in case of an emergency.

“Normal scenes too need precautions. In ‘Devara Nadalli’, a character lies down on his back with arms spread out in still water. He has to continue in that position for quite some time. No one can remain in such a position for long. So we tied his hands with ropes to two motor boats on either side, parked about 30 feet away. We had trained professional swimmers in the boat. Most of the time, such scenes are not considered action scenes so not much precaution is taken,” he says. 

Once, a crane on the sets touched a high-tension wire. It left a man dead and another injured, recalls Suresha.

Wearing the right gear is important for those working on the sets. “For example, the crew should be given proper footwear because they are vulnerable to electrocution,” Chaitanya says.

N M Suresh, president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, says, “Big banners take insurance for the crew but the smaller productions don’t because of budget constraints.”

Chethan ensures his stunt artistes and actors are well padded. He also gets the floor padded in case someone falls.

“The fighters should stay fit. I see many of them don’t get time to exercise or practise martial arts. These are essential skills to avoid accidents on the sets,” he says.

Chaitanya describes himself as ‘overcautious’. While shooting a stunt sequence for his 2010 thriller ‘Suryakanthi’ with Chetan Ahimsa, he noticed cannons placed below the car for a stunt scene.

“The idea was for the car to blow up as soon as the actor jumped off from it. Chetan was ready to do it. I refused. I said we would shoot the scenes separately. Finally when we did the shot, the car shot up 22 feet instead of the six they had anticipated. Now, even if the actor had been a second late, he would have been blown up along with the car,” he says. 

Actors shouldn’t be jumping and doing action sequences. They should act and emote. Stunts are not part of their skills, he says. 

Chethan doesn’t use actors while shooting car chases. With advanced CGI, he feels there is no need. “Sometimes, it is all done with a green mat. And when I do it with my stunt artistes, I make sure to use well trained and fit artistes. We also pad up the insides of the cars,” he says. 

Apart from minor injuries, nothing major has occurred on his sets. “I did action scenes for ‘Aavesham’ and Fahadh is the most fragile actor I have worked with. He did all the action sequences himself. Even Sudeep’s ‘Max’ has all kinds of stunts. Everything went well. Nobody was injured,” he adds. Chethan’s team trains actors and stunt artistes at his centre in HSR Layout, Bengaluru.

Safety panel

Almost everyone agrees a safety committee should come into existence. Chethan says he takes enough precautions on the sets. “But there needs to be someone to check if I am doing it properly, right? We need a committee to oversee safety on the sets,” he says.  

Chaitanya believes a non-cinema committee should look at 10 or 20 productions and make safety recommendations. Directors are as vulnerable as others on the sets, and shouldn’t be hauled up for accidents. The departments concerned must take responsibility, he adds.

“Producers can’t sit on the sets and look at everything 24/7,” says N M Suresh, who has produced films like ‘Excuse Me’ and ‘Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu’.

Many casualties

In July, a stunt artiste died while practising a sequence on the sets of the Tamil film ‘Sardar 2’ in Chennai. A fight master was electrocuted on the sets of the Kannada film ‘Love You Racchu’ in 2021. A crane carrying a heavy light came crashing down during the shooting of the Tamil film ‘Indian 2’, leaving nine injured and three dead. And in 2016, two actors died when they jumped into the water while shooting the climax of the Kannada film ‘Masti Gudi’. A rescue motor-boat stationed to pull them out did not start.